The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-26
SOUTHERN PREsBYTERIANs.

SOUTHERN PREsBYTERIANS.
The Discussion Organic Union-Colonel
Livingston's Reply To DR. Smoot.
ST LOUIS, Mo-, May 25.-The Presbyterian
General Assembly South devoted the morning
session to argument on organic union Elder j.
g. Livingston. of Georgia. and Rev. j. M. Potts.
of Alabama spoke in favor of union with the
Northern church, and w. Fl. Parks, of ST. Louis,
opposed it.
The invitation of the Second Presbyterian
Church OF Philadelphia TO the Assembly to hold
their next session in that city, and extending
their hospitality was declined. as this Assembly
has no church in Philadelphia; but they resolved
TO hold their next session in May, 1883 at Balti-
more and TO take n recess on the fourth Inurs-
day in Nav and proceed 10 Philadelphia 70 assist
in the celebration Of the centennial anniversary
of tie Reformed Presbytery OF America. Ihey
further accepted their quota OF addresses and
the following speakers and subjects were as
signed: Rev. b. NJ. Palmer, Children of the
Covenant" Rev. VI. d. Hoge. City Evangelical
tom" Rev. j. L. Gerardeau. History OF Pres
bvterianism and It's Work for the Future;" Rev.
nj H. Houston, Foreign Missions" Rev. W. w.
Moore Home Missions Rev Jerry Wither-
spoon, closing address, j. Randolph fucker. of
Virginia, adaptation Of Presby teranism to the
Masses" w. G. Breckenridge OF Kentucky.
'Calvlnism and Religious Liberty" j. s Cot
teran, of South Carolina. "Cslvinism and HUI
man Progress:p Clifford Anderson, of Georgia,
Lay EHOTt Among the Masses
Mr. OFT. in his speech for union, spoke very
temporarily. His position was that he favored
the appointment of a committee of conference as
peace measure The church, he gard. is now
sailing in a perilious On the "a side Is
disruption: the other side dis tseratlon.
What he desired was to guide the church through
this peril. He had been for a time in connection
with the Northern assembly, while holding
charges in Wilmington, Del, and at PhladeI-
phia. In that connection, and before and since.
what he had had convinced him OF the
hv,%s ant hat fnn
much must not now BE done. as that would
mean disruption. and too little would mean
continued disintegration, hence he favored con-
ference.
The following is an epitome of the speech
made yesterday afternoon in the Southern Pres
byterian Assembly by Colonel Livingston, of
Georgia. IN which he not only spoke in favor of
the majority report on the union of the two
assemblies, but handled Dr. Smoot with bare
knuckles. He said that when the majority
made the report it was out of no disrespect for
the fathers of the church like DR.. Smoot The
speaker admitted that he had represented his
people in the Legislature at home, but he was
OF talking politician. He was not a poiti-
clan. Dr. Shoots speech was made up of bloody
shirt and attack upon the Methodist board.
He characterized Dr. Smoot natural-born
politician in the pulpit of Christ. He said DIR.
Smoot had been mad ever since the federal army
came into his county in Kentucky and made him
step up every thirty days and take the oath.
They could not trust him more than thirty days.
Ever since that time he had no use for anything
north of Mason and Dixons line. Mr.. Smoot
said he would not go if the others went. The
speaker suggested. rather quantity that they'd
"let him stay" He wanted TO know il there
was any politics in his predecessors address con-
corning Wendell Phillips and Lloyd CARR
He wondered if a Northern man ever
used language more cutting TO Southern people
than that to Northern people Smoot
different from Garrison. Garrison would say to
Smoot: Your rebellion caused all the sorrow
and ruin" Smoot would say: "Well, you led
to do it, The over, and It's issues
should be buried forever and forever. AS to CO.
operation. the speaker declared that Abraham
armed his servants and went down and helped
Lot and released him and his family. They
didn't cooperate any more, because the town
was burnt up ana Lots wife was turned into a
pillar of salt. Men were supporting the major
ity report who were born further down into the
heart OF slavery and the war than ever DIR.
Smoot was. AS to the charge that the majority
had doctored the figures, the speaker completely
overturned the proofs. 1t unfair to the
presbyteries which had not been heard to say
they were not moving in the matter. The legal
presumption was that the silence of the presby
terles meant their consent There was no ques-
ton but that five spoke in favor of it. The
others either cared nothing for it, or favored it.
As to the charge that this movement ought
not to follow the business men, 'the children
of this world are wiser in their generation
than the children of light" This Christ had
said to certain people once. The trouble with
the Presbyterian Church was that there had
been too little business about it. The business
men were hard headed and sensible, and a
church should have some of their sense. As to
Dr SmOoJS ldea or seD0lDg MISSIONARIES TO con-
vert the New Engapders from their Unitarian
ism and other isms. the speaker said he would
like to be one of the missionaries. They might
answer him in such fashion this: Don't you
think you Southern Pres byterians had better go
back and tend to those millions of niggers you
have down thereP God never intended separa-
ton OF his children The clause in the majority
report specially stipulated that the Southern
church did not believe in delivsrarces on
politics. The Southern church went out
because the Northern assembly, in 1861,
in Philadelphia, had declared the cit-
zens to be under the government of the
United States, the government de facto and de
jure, and no member of the church should bear
rms against it. If this cause was removed,
then the church could go back. How many
political deliverances had the Southern church
made2 Many of them The people at Omaha
had notified this assembly that they would ac-
sept just what the Missouri Synod had accepted.
Dr. Smoot had dug up the bloody shirt and
waved it, and raked up every cruel thing the
Northern church had ever said. 1t wasn't fair
TO make the Northern church of to-day stand for
It would have been fairer have taken their
ater declarations as the expression of opinion.
II the assembly did not pay more attention TO
The overtures now made, the church would lose
many border presby teries. The whole matter of
church progress and church growth had been
hndered by the two conflicting churches in the
field. In all other matters the issues and differ
ances Of the war were being buried out of sight,
and the church of God should not be the last to
1armonize.